Locomotive at Lower London Road

Thank you to Bill Hall, Leith, Edinburgh, for allowing me to reproduce this photograph. The caption that Bill has given to the photo is:

"Great Grandfather, John Henderson
behind Sunnybank, Lower London Road"

Acknowledgement: Bill Hall, Leith, Edinburgh,: May 24, 2010

Questions

1. Which of the two men in this photo is John Henderson?

2. The company name on the locomotive is 'James Young & Sons Ltd.'

Exactly where might this photo have been taken?

3. The maker's name plate on the cab reads:

"Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co Limited
Caledonian Works, Kilmarnock"

What else is known about this locomotive?

If you know the answers to any of these questions, please email me.

Thank you.

Peter Stubbs: June 4, 2010

Reply

Patrick Hutton

New Town, Edinburgh

Thank you to Patrick Hutton who wrote:

James Young, Builders

"James Young is a building contractor (still in business today) at 2236 London Road, Glasgow. Beside the railway at Carmyle. Maybe this was his works pug?

Andrew Barclay

"Andrew Barclay built lots of these wee things. If you can read the works number and date (year) off the plate then let me know and I can investigate further.

Acknowledgement: Patrick Hutton, New Town, Edinburgh: June 8, 2020.

Reply

Patrick Hutton

New Town, Edinburgh

Patrick Hutton wrote again:

Locomotives

"The Industrial-Loco web site shows that:

- Barclays' locos, Nos 820, 821, 825 were all supplied to James Young, Edinburgh.

- Barclays's loco No 821 of 1899 was numbered 19. That could be a '19' on the tank side of the loco in the photo above.

- Barclays's loco No 865 went to James Young Ltd, Glasgow (not '& Sons') so the engine in the photo is looking more like the Edinburgh contractor."

The Date

"James Young of Edinburgh took on the Talla Water contract in 1897, but went bust in 1899.

If the loco is Barclays 821 of 1899, then that dates the photo quite closely, ie between:

- 30 June 1899 when the loco was delivered and

- December 1899 when (according to Edinburgh Gazette) James Young went bust,

unless someone took on the business or bought the loco without repainting it.

Acknowledgement: Patrick Hutton, New Town, Edinburgh: June 8, 2020.

Reply

Mike Melrose

Edinburgh

Thank you to Mike Melrose who wrote:

Locomotive

"Andrew Barclay of Kilmarnock were one of Britain’s largest manufacturers of Saddle Tank Locomotives. They were very commonly used in Collieries and other industrial applications, e.g. steelworks.

The photo is a 0-4-0 type. They were used mostly as shunting engines. They were well known for their robustness.

There is one at the Scottish National Museum of Mining at Newtongrange."

The Company

"James Young & Sons, described as Railway and Public Works Contractors, are featured in an article by Nicholas J Morgan in 'Scottish Business & Industrial History, Vol 6.1, 1983.

Source: University of Glasgow Business Archives web site

Acknowledgement: Mike Melrose, Edinburgh: June 10, 2010 (2 emails)